Scientists know that information travels between brain cells along hairlike extensions called axons. For the first time, researchers have found that axons don't just transmit information - they can turn the signal up or down with the right stimulation.
This finding may help scientists develop treatments for psychiatric disorders such as depression and schizophrenia in which it is thought that different parts of the brain do not communicate correctly with each other.
"Until now, scientists have thought that in the brain's cortex -- where most cognitive processes occur -- information was only processed in the cell body," said Raju Metherate, author of the study, associate professor of neurobiology and behavior, and director of the Center for Hearing Research at UC Irvine. "The result of our study suggests that we must consider the axons as sites of information processing - and of potential problems when things go wrong."
This study appears online Aug. 19 in Nature Neuroscience.
Increasingly, studies are beginning to show that complex information processing, and perhaps consciousness itself, may result from coordinated activity among many parts of the brain connected by bundles of long axons. Cognitive problems may occur when these areas don't communicate properly with each other.
Cognitive function occurs when millions of brain cells communicate with each other at the same time. A brain cell has a network of branches called dendrites through which it receives and processes information from other cells. The body of the cell then relays the processed information along an axon to a terminal that links to another cell's dendrites. At the terminal, chemicals called neurotransmitters are released, allowing the information to enter the receiving cell. Until now, scientists believed axons were just the wires between point A and point B.
"Axons, we thought, were like wires in a radio conveying signals, but we found that if you stimulate the axon, the signal can be altered, like turning the volume knob on the radio," Metherate said.
Originally, Metherate and his colleagues had hoped to confirm the idea that the drug nicotine alters information that is processed in the cell body or terminal. Puzzled by several negative tests, they developed an experiment in which they could study the intervening axon.
In their experiment, they examined a section of mouse brain associated with hearing that contained a brain cell with an axon connecting to the cortex. Using nicotine, they stimulated the axon to determine how it would affect a signal the brain cell sent to the cortex. Without applying nicotine, about 35 percent of the messages sent by the brain cell reached the cortex. But when nicotine was applied to the axon, the success rate nearly doubled to about 70 percent.
"We looked for more conventional reasons why the response was enhanced, but the evidence just kept pointing to the axon. Nicotine activated the proteins that we think are on the axon," Metherate said. "This is a completely new idea about how the brain works."
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Reader Comments
This, dear friends, is the reason:
Why the PTB wish to stamp out smoking!!!
"Using nicotine, they stimulated the axon to determine how it would affect a signal the brain cell sent to the cortex. Without applying nicotine, about 35 percent of the messages sent by the brain cell reached the cortex. But when nicotine was applied to the axon, the success rate nearly doubled to about 70 percent."
Why the PTB wish to stamp out smoking!!!
"Using nicotine, they stimulated the axon to determine how it would affect a signal the brain cell sent to the cortex. Without applying nicotine, about 35 percent of the messages sent by the brain cell reached the cortex. But when nicotine was applied to the axon, the success rate nearly doubled to about 70 percent."
hypocrisy!
They want to stamp out smoking yet continue to put fluoride in the water which has been shown to affect the pineal gland.
They want to stamp out smoking yet continue to put fluoride in the water which has been shown to affect the pineal gland.
Being impartial
although I have been aware of this for sometime,I still think you need to think objectively before promoting smoking and saying light up! that even if this is completely true and TPB have done this intentionally due to possible benefits of tobacco whilst simultaneously making loads of profit in nicotine replacement products etc. 1)The act of smoking certainly cigarettes (which are laced with chemicals and and the tobacco sprayed with radioactive substances) and even roll ups still causes oxidative stress from the burning and breathing in of smoke. when people who don't have adequate levels of anti-oxidants through their diet smoke it's still acts in a carcinogenic (cell mutating) manner.2) their are better ways to raise consciousness and think for yourself other than smoking, research what a healthful diet really mean such as organic fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds etc. avoid vaccines, heavy metals, fluoride etc and detox if need be. And this is coming from a guy who is partial to a little smoke of marijuana now and again. If you are going to promote it at least promote the use of pure organic tobacco rolled with organic hemp papers, but i still thinks its a bit of a dirty habit.
although I have been aware of this for sometime,I still think you need to think objectively before promoting smoking and saying light up! that even if this is completely true and TPB have done this intentionally due to possible benefits of tobacco whilst simultaneously making loads of profit in nicotine replacement products etc. 1)The act of smoking certainly cigarettes (which are laced with chemicals and and the tobacco sprayed with radioactive substances) and even roll ups still causes oxidative stress from the burning and breathing in of smoke. when people who don't have adequate levels of anti-oxidants through their diet smoke it's still acts in a carcinogenic (cell mutating) manner.2) their are better ways to raise consciousness and think for yourself other than smoking, research what a healthful diet really mean such as organic fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds etc. avoid vaccines, heavy metals, fluoride etc and detox if need be. And this is coming from a guy who is partial to a little smoke of marijuana now and again. If you are going to promote it at least promote the use of pure organic tobacco rolled with organic hemp papers, but i still thinks its a bit of a dirty habit.
I reread this article..
I reread this article after having read countless studies since on smoking and health etc, and noticed my comment above..the funny thing is I've since taken up smoking (organic tobacco) and its actually been one of the best things I've done in terms of my anxiety, concentration etc and don't find it remotely addictive! I often have a roll up just before working out such as hill sprinting and don't notice any negative difference in cv as many would suggest would be the case. Not to mention how relaxing it is to kick back and have a smoke, so although it may not be for everyone I think it's great.
I reread this article after having read countless studies since on smoking and health etc, and noticed my comment above..the funny thing is I've since taken up smoking (organic tobacco) and its actually been one of the best things I've done in terms of my anxiety, concentration etc and don't find it remotely addictive! I often have a roll up just before working out such as hill sprinting and don't notice any negative difference in cv as many would suggest would be the case. Not to mention how relaxing it is to kick back and have a smoke, so although it may not be for everyone I think it's great.
Our immunity to emotional manipulation and psychopathic propaganda is directly proportional to the cortical control we can exert over the knee-jerk emotional reactions programmed into the amygdala. If smoking can DOUBLE the effective communication between the cortex and other parts of the brain, then what does that say about efforts to do away with smoking in the general population? Can't have any of the hysterical sheeple accidentally waking up and thinking rationally about their actions.